Today we’d like to introduce you to Afiya K. Hooker.
Afiya, before we jump into specific questions about your practice, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I always knew I would be a business owner. As a young child in the 3rd grade, I would go to school and sell my Happy Meal toys and bottles of water for $1 to my classmates. It was a very successful operation for an eight year old until my mother caught on to what I was doing and ended it all! At the age of 10, that entrepreneurial spirit met the compassionate side of me. I initially thought I wanted to be a pediatrician because I always knew I wanted to help people. After thinking about it further, I realized I wanted to specifically help individuals going through mental and/or emotional distress. So I researched the differences between being a psychiatrist, a psychologist and a psychotherapist. Throughout the years of my adolescence, psychotherapy continued to interest me. I had dreams of having my own psychotherapy private practice with a clothing boutique next door. The goal was for individuals to shop at the boutique as they waited on their family members who would be in session with me. I already ventured into the boutique world a few years ago and now it is a dream come true to have my private practice as well.
After completing my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology in 2010, I appeased my parents by venturing into the business world to obtain a job they specifically wanted me to have. I was then accepted into a MBA program and working in my field at a psychiatric hospital, but I wasn’t being fulfilled. I was offered an internship at an engineering firm after getting the MBA program offer, but I was so fueled by my passion and purpose of being a psychotherapist, that I turned it down. Instead, I applied for my Master of Science degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, which I completed in 2014. During that time, I maintained my entrepreneurial drive by owning a mentoring company where I mentored adolescent girls and young adult women. After earning my Master’s degree, I added counseling services to the list of mentoring options in 2015. And in 2019, I decided to rebrand the psychotherapy and counseling services under a new business name, The Sunshine’s Haven Counseling Center. With that, I now have over 12 years of experience in the mental health field and over five years of experience as a psychotherapist.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I believe the phrase that is often used is, “Nothing worth having comes easy.” I would love to say that my journey through entrepreneurship was easy and smooth sailing mostly because it would have saved me a lot of time, money, and mistakes. However, most entrepreneurs know that isn’t true, regardless of how you start. As previously discussed, my first business venture started at the age of 8 in the 3rd grade. My next business venture was around the age of 15, when I taught myself how to sew and began making shirts and skirts. Following that, I had a tutoring company in college at the age of 19, providing individual tutoring services to students in elementary through high school. I can go on and on about the different ventures I’ve done over the course of my life because there are more after age 19 that I’ve explored. More than half succeeded, while the others didn’t do as well. However, the most important aspect of those ventures is that I learned more and more along the way. I look back over the years and I am thankful for the lack of ease, costly mistakes, and time-consuming research, as it has gotten me to where I am today in my private practice and where I am headed in the near future.
Please tell us about your practice.
I am a professional and licensed mental health counselor/psychotherapist, as well as the owner of The Sunshine’s Haven Counseling Center, a haven for a wide variety of issues and challenges. We offer an inviting, therapeutic, and confidential space that allows clients to process their thoughts, feelings, and emotions, while also gaining insight on how to address presenting problems and concerns effectively. We specialize in the presenting issues of our clients, which include, but are not limited to, feelings of depression, anxiety, anger, behavioral problems, family conflict, grief and much more.
At The Sunshine’s Haven, we are most proud of our clients and their resiliency throughout the process. It is not easy to seek therapy or even to remain a client, as it takes work from both parties in the therapeutic relationship. But each day my company receives phone calls, text messages, and emails about people leaping out on faith and seeking mental clarity, emotional support, guidance, personal development, self-growth/reconstruction and/or positive change in some aspect of their lives. It’s commendable, courageous, and amazing!
One thing that sets us apart is our sliding scale fee. I want to be sure that our clients are not adding extra stress and/or anxiety when seeking treatment. Therefore, we offer a sliding scale that can greatly reduce the price of therapy based on the client’s annual income. Several private practices don’t offer this as a solution because we still have to keep the lights on and pay the bills!
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Honestly, I’m not very keen on luck. While I do believe some things happen by chance, I am very clear that therapy is my passion and what I am purposed to do in life. I am also a firm believer that my success (or lack thereof), in life and business, is more significantly contributed towards my thoughts, actions, and beliefs than it has been in regards to chance. Furthermore, being in the right place, at the right time and prepared for success, is much more important than luck, in my opinion.
Pricing:
- Consultation: $25
- Family Therapy: $100
- Individual Therapy: $75
- Virtual Appointments: $75
Contact Info:
- Address: 11 North Water Street
10th Floor Mobile, AL. 36602 - Website: www.thesunshineshaven.com
- Phone: 251-257-0190
- Email: thesunshineshaven@gmail.com
- Instagram: @_afiyak
- Facebook: fb.me/thesunshineshaven
Image Credit:
Bria Hood/Elijah McCreary II
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